Item 2019.106 - Fire Proximity Suit

Globe Manufacturing Inc. was founded in 1887 in Lynn, Massachusetts by J.D. Cleaver (d. 1901) who was a manufacturer of leather harnesses and fire suits. In 1901 Cleaver’s brother-in-law Courtland F.H. Freese acquired the business, relocating it to Pittsfield, New Hampshire. In 1918 Globe obtained a patent for a waterproof coat that incorporated an outer shell, a waterproof barrier and a thermal lining, and began selling the world’s first firefighter suit (known as turnout gear in the United States). This system of layers is still used by manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE) for firefighters today. In 1953 the company began to use 3M Scotchlite reflective trim on its PPE to aid visibility. They introduced the flame-resistant fabric DuPont Nomex into their PPE in 1966, the performance fabrics PBI for outer shells and waterproofs, and breathable Gore-Tex for moisture barriers, in 1985. In 2007 the company produced more than 114,000 suits, making Globe the largest manufacturer of structural fire suits in the world. By 2008 the company had 400 employees and more than 100,000 square feet of manufacturing and distribution facilities. Globe acquired Cairns Protective Clothing in 1995, and MSA Safety, Inc. acquired Globe in 2017. The company continues to manufacture PPE, including firefighter suits.
Sources: Congressional Documents and Publications; globe. msasafety.com; US Fed News.